Gov. David Paterson has called on the Legislature to come up with a contingency plan if the state doesn't receive about $1 billion in federal aid for Medicaid.

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Senate Democrats shelved plans to vote on the final pieces of the state budget on Wednesday, saying instead they want to negotiate over how to close a potential $1 billion gap in federal aid and enact reforms to the state university system.

So they are taking at least a five-day break. They will return to Albany after the July Fourth weekend. ...